Method of transmitting and utilizing electric currents.



- P; c. HEWITT METHOD OF TRANSMITTING AND UTILIZING ELECTRIC C URRENTS.

APPLIOATIOII FILED JAN. 14, 1909.

1,}, 1,5%7 Patentedfse t. 1'5, 191%.,

"UNITED STATES P T ST OFFICE:

PETER COOPER HEWITT, or nINGwoon MANOR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY'MESNEASSIGNMENTS, To cooPEEHEwIT'r ELECTRIC 00., or HoBoKE NEW JERSEY, n

' CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHonoE TRANSMITTING AND "UTILIZING E EcTEIc cU- EENTs.

:Originai application filed April 5, 1901,

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that LPETER 'GoorER HE ITT, Qa citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Ringwood Manor, county of Passaic, State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Method'ofacter refererd to, exists. at the negative electrode, and that when suchresistance is broken down or overcome current will pass under theinfluence of comparatively low electro-motive-force's. This resistanceto starting at the negative electrode may, for convenience, be termedthe negative electrode reluctance. I

I have found, moreover, that so long as the negative electrode resistance remains overcome, the positive electrode fromwhich current isflowing may be replaced by another current carrying positive electrode,

without causing a cessation of the flow .of

current to the negative electrode.

' It results therefore, that if a device of this character be providedwith several positive electrodes which are connected -su'ccessively withsources of positive electromotive-forces, current may be caused to flowsuccessively from the several positive electrodes through the device tothe negative electrode, proivded that at all times a sufficientelectro-motive-force is presentedto the terminals of the device bymeans: of any of the positive electrodes and the negative electrode toprevent the negative electrode reluctance from reestablishingits'elf.

I have further found that even though.

Specification of Letters Patent.

by current flowing negative electrode,

, leakage current principal resistance.

stated to involve one of the positive e lectrodes were negative withreference to another, current would notflow from such positive electrodeto'such negative electrode. without first temporary breaking down thenegative electrode. re luctance at said electrode.

--Another feature which is that when such. device is being operated Ithe device offers a bar- IIBI tO the flow of current in the reversedirection by reason of the negative electrode tive becoming negative.Moreover, any which may .pass from one positive electrode to another isso small .as to be negligible. By reason of these characteristics, I amenabled-to use the device in connection with polyphase. alternatingelectric currents by providing a positive electrode for each phase ofthe current and connecting the negative electrode to a neutral point'ofthe source with reference to the" In a three-phase sysseveral positives.teln, for 1nstance, the polyphase currents overlapping each other, intime, will cause a positive electro-motive-force to be at all timesimpressed upon one or more of the positive electrodes so that there mayalways given direction While in operation.

It will follow that there will be present in" in one-direction only, thequantity of this current being dependent upon the resistance of thecircuit and the effective electro-ino-j tive-forces presented to theterminals of the device.'

Generally speaking, my invention may be the supplying of a positiveelectrode for each phase ofjthe alternating current and substitutingthese electrodes for.

each other with the successive alternations Patented Sept. 15,1914.Serial No. 54,485. Divided and this applica-tion filed January 14, 1909.Serial No; 472,185. v

I have discovered from the positive to the reluctance which would resideat the posibe a .flow of current through the device in a i of current, asinglen'egative electrode being common to all of the positives. Wherethis device is desired to be used as an illuminating device or a lamp,the path path suitable for giving light and-having between the severalpositive electrodes and the negative elect-rode is constructed of such alength anddiameter as'to present a vapor the desired electricalresistance. -.This may be accomplished in accordance with. thedirections givenin my patents hereinbefore referred to.

There are many uses to which the device maybe applied such, forinstance, as operating various classes of apparatus requiring currentscontinuous in direction, the

charging of storage batteries, electrolytic these electrodes are shownas beingfcontain'ed within an enlargement 4. The negative electrode, 5,is shown as consisting, in this instance, of a small body of mercurywith which a leading-in wire, 8, makes connection:- I have illustrated'a source of polyphase current, in this case, a threephase generator, ora suitable transformer, adapted to deliver the requisite currents.

The respective terminals of the source are connected by conductors, 12,13 and 14, with respective positive electrodes, 2, 2 and 2. (The neutralpoint of the source'll is connected by a conductor 15, through anydesired devices, with the leading-in wire 8. For the. purpose of 1starting the device, any suitable means may be employed. I

usually surround the portion of the device adjacent to the negativeelectrode by a conducting band, 9, connected with any one of theconductors leading to the positive electrodes; or, it may be connectedas in this instance with'the earth by a conductor, 10. This serves-toaid in starting a flow of current through the device.

A convenient way of starting the device and, overcoming the negativeelectrode'reluctance where the potential employed is not in itselfsufficient to insure the starting, is

to impressupon the terminals an electromotive-force higher than thatrequired for its normal operation. This may be done in any convenientway as, for instance, by means of a potential raising device included inany one of the circuits. In the drawing, I have shown the coil 21included in the conductor 15, this coil acting as a secondary to aprimary coil, 22, included in the circuit of al's'uitablecircuit-interrupterIsuch, for instance, as a Wehnelt, 24, one terminalofthe primary coil being connected with the conductor 15 and the other bythe conductor 23,

with one side of the Wehnelt, the other side .of the Wehnelt beingconnected by a con ductor 25, with the conductor;v '12 for instance.Aswitch 26 may be included in the conductor 25 for controlling itscircuit connections, and a conductor 27 with aswitch 28 may be employedfor short-circuiting or cutting out of circuit, the coil 21. For specialreasons the coil21 may 'beput in other portions of the circuit, providedit is so arranged as to cause a momentary high electro-motive-force tobe impressed upon the terminals, of the device. Other means of stargingthe device may be employed, if desire i When the flow of current hasbeen started it will continue to pass in succession from the severalelectrodes 2, 2 and 2, to the nega-' the electrode 5, the successiveelectrodes being in effect substituted, the one for another, as thepositive electro-motive-force applied to onefalls, and the positiveelectro-motiveforce to the succeeding one rises. During a portion of thetime current may be flowing from more than one positive, the essentialpoint being that there is always asuflicient fiow'of current through thedevice to maintain it in itsconductive condition and to prevent therestoration of the negative electrodereluctance at the negativeelectrode.

The invention is useful in various cases where it is desired to derive adirect current from an alternating source. In effect such.

an apparatus as described herein serves the purpose of a rectifyingdevice, whereby jcurrents from a source of alternating currents passthrough the apparatus and through the circuit connected therewith in onedirection. The function and operation of the appa ratus are the samewhether it is itself used as a translating device or as a medium fortransmitting a continuous current to other translating devices Inanother application Serial Number I 54,485, filed April 5, 1901, ofwhich this application is a division, claims are madeupon certain of themethods disclosed herein.

In another application filed by me on April 5, 1901, Serial Number54,484, new Patent 955,459, April 19', 1910, and various other pendingapplications I have made claims to the apparatus and other modes,of

operation of the invention herein escribed.

I claim as my invention 1. Means for starting a vapor electric apparatus comprising a plurality of anodes, a

vaporizable cathode and a container therefor, said means consisting ofan alternating supply. connectionfrom said supply to said anodes and aconnection from an intermediate point of said supply to said cathodeanda starting band adjacent said cathode connected to earth.

2. Means for starting a vapor electric ap- Signed -at New York, in theconnty of paratus comprising a plurality of anodes, a New York, andState of New York, this f vaporizable cathode and a container there-13th day of January, A. D. 1909. for, said means consisting of analternating PETER COOPER HEWITT. v 5 supply connection'from said sugplyto said Witnesses:

anodes and a starting band a 1acent. said I 'WM. H. CAPEL, cathodeconnected to earth. Tnos. H. BROWN;

